Illuminated sign.



H.' MULHo-LLAND-L o. G. WEST.. ILLUIYIINATED SIGN.l APPLICATION PIILBDAUG. 15. 1910.

l -Patented Oct. 3, 1,911.

the impression that each UNITED STATES PTENT GFFICE.

'IUGH MULHOLLAND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND CHARLESG. WEST, OF GREENWICH,CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORS,. BY MES-NE ASSIGNMENTS. T0 MULTICOLOR ELECTRICSIGN CO., OF NEW YOEK, N. Y.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

Patented Oct. 3, V1911.

Application'led August 15, 1910. Serial No. 577,236.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HUGH MULi-ioLLAisn, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in thecounty and State of New York, and CHARLES G. lViis'r, a citizen of theyUnited States, and a resident of Greenwich, in the county of Fairiieldand State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved IlluminatedSign, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certainV improvements in illuminating signs,and more particularly to that type of sign in which the letters,figures, designs, or other advertising matter, is displayed in the formof an arrangement of bulbs secured to the front wall l of a casing',said bulbs being transparent, and the casing being interiorlyilluminated. In signs of this character, the bulbs may resembleincandescent electric-light bulbs, and the interior of the casing may beilluminated by electricity, gas, or in any other suitable manner. Thelight shining through the bulbs from the interior lof the casing givesof the bulbs is an electric light. c

Our invent-ion relates particularly to the construction of these bulbs,and the object of the' invention is to so construct the bulbs that theymay appear of any desired color,

and-the color of any bulb may be readily and quickly changed in changingthe sign.

In carrying out our invention, we employ a colored transparent disk orplate in connection with each bulb, and so support these disks or latesthat the light must shine through tihem .to the bulbs. These color disksmay be easily removed and.replaced by disksof other colors.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawingsA forming a part ofthis specification, in. which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in ,all the views, andin Which- Figure'l is a frontview of a simple form of sign, invention', Fig. 2 is alongitudinalsection therethrough; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectionthrough one .form of bulb; Fig. 4 isa longitudinal section disk 18 ofA`gelatin or constructed in accordance with ourv through a second forml ofbulb; and Fig. 5 is a detail of the fastening means of the bulb shown inFig. 4.

Our improved construction may be used in connection with various formsof electric signs, and the bulbs may be arranged to form letters,numerals, igures,or any suitable designs. have illustrated in theaccompanying drawings a casing having a front wall 10 spaced from a rearwall y11, to leave an interior chamber or compartment 12. The frontw'aLl series of apertures,' '4

10 is provided with a and within each aperture,l there is secured a bulb13, which in the particular form illustrated somewhat resemblesin shapeand size an incandescent.` electric light bulb. IVithin the casing isilluminating means, which in the form illustrated comprises electriclights 1-l,although As a simple foi-m of sign, -we

any suitable form of it is, ot course, understood that we do not wish tobe limited in ally Way of illumination.

In Fig. 3,- there is illgstrated a formof to this' form Y bulb embodyingour invention andon a larger scale than Figs. 1 and 9.. This bulb 13 isformed of glass, and at its rear end presents a shoulder `15 forengagement with the front surface of the wall 10 on the side. The bulbhas a threaded neck 16, adapted to extend through an aperture-in thewall 10, andopposite to the exterior shoulder 15 is an interior shoulder17 within the neck. Seated upon this interior shoulder 17 f is aanyother suitable trans arent material which is capable of carrying acolor, so that the light which shines from the interior of thecasingthrough the bulb will assume the color of the disk. For holding the diskin place, and also for modifying the light rays, we employ a lens 19,seating against the surface' of the disk 1 8 and fitting within the neck16. Itis not at all essential that this member 19 be a lens, although,by forming it asa lens,

the brilliancy ofthe-bulb may be increased.` surface of the member 19juriously affected byl heat the chamber 12.

transmit the light rays, -but it serves also as a non-conducting pro-Vtector to protect the disk 18 from. being in- For lfiolding this member19 in position and at the same time holding the bulb in posi-'- tion,there is employed a collar 20, threaded tothe exterior of the neck andengaging with the surface of the Wall l opposite to the shoulder 15.Thiscollar has an inwardly-directed liange 21 for engaging With lthesurface of the member 19 to press the 'i latter toward the shoulder 17.

The specific forni of the bulb may be varied Without in any Waydeparting from the spirit of our invention. As illustrated in Fig. 3,the outer end of the bulb is formed U of increased thickness so as toconstitute a -bullS-eye22, and the bulb is formed somewhat elliptical.-The bulb may be of any forni desired. i

In' Fig. 4,'there Ais illustrated a second Jform which nur invention mayassume. In this form, the bulb lbis of slightly different shape, butpresents an outwardly extending shoulder 22 for engagement with thesurface of the Wall-.10. Extending from this shoullder. is aneck 23,Which instead ofbeing threaded, may have a plurality of bayonet slots24, as illustrated yindetail in Fig. 5. 'This neck 23 extends .throughthe opening the Wall 10 of the sign, and at its inner end itis attachedto a member 25, which serves to retain the bulb in place, and alsoserves to support a color disk. As shown,

y.this ,member 25 is of glass, land includes a pocket may be closed onthree sides and open on the tourt-li, and is-adapted to receive a 'colordisk .30 of transparent gelatin, celluloid or 'other suitable material.

Variousot-her forms Within the scope of the appended. clainis might bedevised for carrying out our invention Without in any way-'departingfrom the spirit thereof.

.Having thus describedourinvention, We

y Patent:

claim as new and desire to secureby Letters l. .A sign having a'napertured Wall, a 4bulb closing'the aperture therein, a transparentcolor-disk extending across the bulb, and a transparent retainer forsaid disk.

2. A. sign having an aperturedV Wall, a

bulb clesingthe aperture therein, a transparent color-disk extendingacross the bulb, and a transparent Wall closing the yend of the bulbandret-aining said color-disk in position.

3. A sign'rlia-ving an apertured Wall, a bulb closing the aperturethe-rein, and having a cylindrical, exteriorly-threaded neck, atransparent colored disk extending across the bulb at the threaded neck,and a collar encircling said neckand having engagement with said diskand with said Wall to hold said disk to said bulb, andto hold said bulbin position in seid wall.

el. A sign having an apertured Wall, a bulb closing the aperture 'liei'eiii,'and havingan eXterierly-threaded neck, a transparent coloreddisk extending across the bulb at the threaded neck, a. transparentnon-heat-conducting sheet covering said disk and serving to protect andsupport the latter, and a collar threaded to said neck and having aflange for engagement with one surface' of the Wall to retain the bulbin position and a. flange for engagementWit-h said transparent sheet forretaining the latter in position. c

5. A sign having an apertured Wall, a bulb closing the aperture therein,and having a threaded neck and al collar encircling said threaded neck,and in engagement with the Wall, a transparent closure for the inner endof said bulb, and a flange on said collar for retaining said closure inposition.

In testimony whereof We have signed our naines to this specilication inthe presence of tW-o subscribing' Witnesses'. t

HUGH MULHOLLAND. CHARLES G. WEST. lVitnessesr JAMES LESLIE Pinks, ALFREDSTEEKLER, J r.

